Senator Ted Cruz toured the Chabad Neshama Center’s Model Matzah Bakery in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, and made matzo with the children on Thursday.Credit Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas went to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, on Thursday afternoon to make some matzo — the unleavened bread central to the Passover holiday later this month.

The site: Chabad Neshama Center, which shares a block of Ocean Parkway with a chiropractor, a dentist, a pediatrician and an ophthalmologist named Dr. Mitchell S. Seidman.

The center includes a preschool (“for more info, call Shula,” reads a sign out front) and a “Model Matzah Bakery” that serves about 2,000 children, according to an administrator, while teaching them about Passover.

“The experience of the exodus of Egypt is felt in a very real, exciting and educational way,” the center’s website says.

Mr. Cruz arrived around 4:35 p.m., walking upstairs to the bakery, where about a dozen children and several adults from the Hasidic Jewish community waited. The room included a painting of the Egyptian pyramids, a mélange of wooden blocks on the floor, a collection of fish-themed balloons and two New York City police officers standing guard.

Two stations were assembled, labeled “flour” and “water,” as an adult kneaded the dough.

The children, mostly 3 and 4 years old, wore paper chef’s hats. One of the hosts wore a “Danger: Men Cooking” apron.

“How do we make matzo?” Leah Winner, the youth program director, asked the youngsters. “We just get some cheese and some ketchup?”

“NOOO,” they replied in unison, and soon a “water and flour!” chant filled the room.

Entering the bakery, Mr. Cruz stopped to pose for a few pictures. The adults led a chant of “roll, roll, roll your matzo,” as the group migrated to the dough table and fetched rollers.

Mr. Cruz was asked if this was his first matzo-making outing.

“It is,” he said.

Would he like a matzo-making hat?

“I’ll pass on the hat,” he said. “It’s a basic rule of politics: Be careful with hats.” (He used equivalent logic in declining to wear a cheesehead in Wisconsin on Monday.)

Would he like dark or light matzo?

“Ahhhhh, surprise me.”

An administrator asked if the children were excited to see Mr. Cruz. There was mostly silence — and an intense focus on rolling.

“You guys are doing a great job,” Mr. Cruz said.

Mr. Cruz was asked if he would like to have holes in his matzo. “I would like to have holes in my matzo,” he said.

Then came another chant: “Make, make, make the holes.”

Mr. Cruz, in a light blue tie and cowboy boots, lowered his head a bit, joining the children around the table.

Then Mr. Cruz grabbed a pizza-peel-style utensil and lifted the dough toward an oven in the corner of the room. He asked about the differences between this oven and a pizza oven, and began discussing Passover with some of his hosts.

“Next year in Jerusalem,” Mr. Cruz said at one point, uttering the phrase that comes at the conclusion of a Seder.

He was told that, because Passover had not yet come, the appropriate phrase would be “this year in Jerusalem” at this stage.

“Well, next year in Jerusalem,” he said, “hopefully I’ll need a bigger plane to get there.”

Mr. Cruz was asked if he consulted often with any particular rabbi or other counselor on the Jewish faith.

“Nick!” he said, calling over an aide, Nick Muzin, who he said advised him often on the subject.

A short while later, the matzo was ready, and the attendees gathered for a picture.

“What camera are we looking at?” Mr. Cruz asked. This never became entirely clear.

But soon, a tune broke out: “Dayenu,” a Passover song that translates to “it would have been enough.”

Day-day-enu, day-day-enu, day-day-enu, dayenu, dayenu!

Mr. Cruz joined in, a bit uneasily, for a few syllables at a time.

“Many blessings, and thank you,” Mr. Cruz said, as an aide signaled it was time to leave.

Removing her chef’s hat, Ms. Winner said it had been “very important” for a presidential candidate like Mr. Cruz to have taken in the scene.

She was asked if he seemed familiar with Jewish traditions. “Somewhat,” she said. “I’m not going to lie. Somewhat.”

As Mr. Cruz reached the door, flanked by a phalanx of staff members and photographers, another host was less equivocal.

“Definitely good for the Jews!” he shouted, and the senator stepped out again onto Ocean Parkway.

Each year as the Super Bowl Sunday rolls round I receive multiple invites to stop by. I don’t have a TV and I am not that interested in football, although I did play the position of left winger in soccer at the Lubavitch High School for Boys in London many moons ago.

But this year I have made a challenge:

If a family this year for the first time, makes the decision to serve only kosher food at their Super Bowl Party, and if they wish, I will be delighted and honored to stop by and help make the Halftime Show more meaningful with words of Torah and inspiration.

To help the wider community with that, here is a list of upbeat and funny ways "Making Your Super Bowl Party More Jewish":

1. Blessings before eating. Do you know the blessings to be made on eating some of the more popular kosher super bowl finger foods? Test yourself!
Buffalo Sliders with Crispy Onion Rings. Guinness Marinated Bison Steak Sandwiches. Hot and Spicy Turkey Wings. Turkey Chili with Loaded Cornbread Muffins.

2. The Bathroom break! –Here is the text for the ‘bathroom blessing' said after leaving bathroom & washing ones hands. Great source for health too!
Blessed are You, G-d, our G-d, sovereign of the universe, who formed humans with wisdom and created within him many openings and many hollows. It is obvious in the presence of your glorious throne that if one of them were ruptured, or if one of them were blocked, it would be impossible to exist and stand in your presence. Blessed are You, God, who heals all flesh and performs wonders.

3. Do you have at least one good kosher joke for your Super Bowl party? Proceed with caution if your rabbi is with you!
The Rabbi and his wife were cleaning up the house. The Rabbi came across a box he didn't recognize. His wife told him to leave it alone, it was personal.

One day, she was out and his curiosity got the better of him. He opened the box and inside he found 3 eggs and $2000. When his wife came home, he admitted that he had opened the box and asked her to explain the contents to him.

She told him, every time he had a bad sermon, she would put an egg in the box. He thought to himself, "In twenty years, only three bad sermons, that's not bad." His wife continued, "And every time I got a dozen eggs, I would sell them for $1."

4. Do you have a Torah thought ready to share with your family & friends?
Some suggestions below

5. Thought-Goals & Gates
The objective of the game is to move a ball into a "goal" or "gate." What can all this teach us regarding our daily endeavors and inner lives? The earth is a sphere. The objective of life is to move this "ball" into the gate of the Almighty. By fulfilling the mitzvot of the Torah, we move the world toward the goal of its creation.

6. Thought-Are you a Fan or a Player?
There are players and fans. The fans can leave when they like -- they're not part of the game. But the players need to stay and try to win until the game is over. This is a lesson in our commitment to Judaism. "You can be either a fan or a player. Be a player!"

7. Will you be wearing your yarmulke during the game? The San Francisco 49ers & the Baltimore Ravens will be wearing their helmets!
Watch this fascinating audio-visual film of Alan Veingrad, who played for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, speaks about his helmet and his Yarmulke! Visit http://www.chabadneshama.com/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/1621305/jewish/Shlomos-Playbook-Helmet.htm

8. Who was the first to present a half time show?
G-d Himself! The Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt at midday in the yr. 2448!

9. Would you like Rabbi Perl to join you at Half Time to share words of Torah?
Call 516-739-3636.

10. Rabbi Perl, any thoughts on who may win?
Not really. Biblically speaking what comes to mind is that the Jewish people are 49ers. After leaving Egypt they made it successfully to Mount Sinai in 49 days! While the Raven in Noah's Ark, couldn't deliver the olive branch!

*CTeen video in support of Israel
*Jewish pride
* Amazing Israeli Falafel
*Awesome people
* Receive community service hours recognized by your School
*Hang out with other Cool Teens!
*Jew Pride!
*For Teens by Teens

Please join us this Friday night for our monthly Shabbos dinner at Chabad - Mexican Style! An awesome experience, starting with a unique Shabbos service followed by delicious homemade Shabbos Dinner. Also a good opportunity to mix, mingle and enjoy the company of Brooklyn's finest young Jewish professionals, families with young children, and the greatest Russian Jewish community.

Special kids' food and kids' program.

Please RSVP by Thursday morning, so we can be properly prepared, via text/call/facebook/email...
LeahWinner@gmail.com/718 764 3544

The catering hall at the exclusive Club Cats hosted a great Chanukah experience enjoyed by a large crowd of adults. Highlights included a beautiful Menorah lighting, dinner buffet, open bar and a world-renowned ventriloquist,who kept the audience enthralled till late night. For More Photos